Question
There's this character in Better Call Saul named Lyle, who is a Los Pollos Hermanos employee, and who is not in Breaking Bad. Last I checked, I think we'd expect Lyle to still be alive and continue working at LPH. What's up with that?
Edit 1:
I don't think there's any other named character in BCS whose fate is not explained and whose fate is indeed wondered by the audience like when we 1st see the character in BCS, we think 'They're either not in BB or are vastly different from how they are in BB. Why?'
If there is, then please inform me.
| Character | BCS | BB | Reason we expect explanation | Explained? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James 'Jimmy' McGill | Is not a corrupt lawyer | Has become 'Saul Goodman' | Not like this at the start of BCS | Yes |
| Hector Salamanca | Not in wheelchair | In wheelchair | Not like this at the start of BCS | Yes |
| Kim Wexler | In BCS | Not in BB | Interacts a lot with Jimmy | Yes |
| Lalo Salamanca | In BCS | Not in BB | Interacts a lot with Jimmy or cartels | Yes |
| Charles 'Chuck' McGill | In BCS | Not in BB | Interacts a lot with Jimmy | Yes |
| Howard Hamlin | In BCS | Not in BB | Interacts a lot with Jimmy | Yes |
| Ignacio Varga | In BCS | Not in BB | Interacts a lot with Jimmy or cartels | Yes |
Besides people, there are even explained objects/places/events or lack thereof like
Gus' underground meth lab: Gus doesn't have it at the start of BCS
Why Jimmy/Saul has not only not met Gus in BB but also doesn't even really know Gus or something (or at least not at 1st when Saul introduces Walt to Gus).
Edit 2: Re the opinion-based close vote:
If there's nothing in canon, then say so as an answer. Feel free to say 'Scientists are now saying that sometimes, people leave fast food jobs.'
Note: I actually haven't watched the 2nd half of BCS s6 yet. I just read the summaries and watched clips and stuff. I'm gonna watch later on. I was just wondering if there was anything that happened to Lyle that wasn't in the summaries or that I missed. Again, if there's nothing, then just say so. Please consider using spoiler tag, but if you wanna answer without then go ahead.
Preferably, an answer would cite an interview with Vince Gilligan or Peter Gould where they say 'We don't know' (as in 'death of the author') or something. But I guess I'd accept an answer that says something like, if true, 'the entire BCS s6 2nd half doesn't have any mention of Lyle. You can see the transcripts that Lyle's name is not there.'
Answer
I think we'd expect Lyle to still be alive and continue working at [Los Pollos Hermanos]
Although we don't see Lyle in Breaking Bad, there's no particular indication that he isn't both alive, and keeping the city supplied with delicious fried chicken (at least until some chemistry teacher ruins everything).
By my count, we only see the inside of the Albuquerque branch of Los Pollos Hermanos in nine episodes of Breaking Bad. The one employee with lines is Cynthia, who, like Lyle, seems to be there to demonstrate that Los Pollos Hermanos managers believe Gus is a regular boss, and aren't aware that the business is an elaborate front for a meth operation.
As we can infer from his conversation with Gus in Lyle's last Gilliverse appearance in episode 8 of season 6 of Better Call Saul, 'Point and Shoot', Lyle usually opens or closes the restaurant, not both. Like most fast food employees, he's on shifts, so like Gus, he's not always in the restaurant.
Pollos also has several locations in New Mexico alone. In the Breaking Bad timeline, Lyle could be managing one of them. He could be assistant regional manager (or assistant to the regional manager) of several. He could be using his innate musical aptitude to develop new advertising jingles to help them expand into new markets! For a beautiful unique character like Lyle, the sky really is the limit.
Perhaps not entirely unique though. There are several other named characters who appear more than once in, and survive, Better Call Saul (without mentioning any imminent plans to leave Albuquerque), and didn't appear in Breaking Bad:
| Character | Better Call Saul | Breaking Bad | Explained? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel Varga | Owner of thriving local upholstery business | Does not appear | No |
| Daniel Wormald | Albuquerque's hottest up-and-coming nerdy drug dealer | Does not appear | No |
| Craig Kettleman | Cruelly persecuted former Bernalillo County treasurer, now running a 100%-legitimate tax services business | Does not appear | No |
| Betsy Kettleman | Craig's honest and dutiful wife | Does not appear | No |
| Clifford Main | Named partner at famous local law firm Davis and Main | Does not appear | No |
| Erin Brill | Expert conference call administrator at Davis and Main | Does not appear | No |
| Omar | Assistant at Davis and Main | Does not appear | No |
| Richard Schweikart | Named parter at famous local law firm Schweikart & Cokely | Does not appear | No |
| Viola Goto | Up-and-coming paralegal at Schweikart & Cokely | Does not appear | No |
| Kevin Wachtell | CEO of famous mid-sized regional bank Mesa Verde | Does not appear | No |
| Paige Novick | Senior counsel at Mesa Verde | Does not appear | No |
| Ernesto | Mostly-acceptable mail-room employee at HHM, until Chuck decides otherwise | Does not appear | No |
| Mrs. Nguyen | Owner of thriving local nail salon | Does not appear | No |
Whether you're curious about what any of them are up to in the Breaking Bad timeline is between you and your god.
Answered By - Paul D. Waite
